Jean Fattori

Jean Binet Fattori passed away suddenly at her residence in West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 17, 2024 at the age of 97. Jean’s seven children, Joseph, Thomas, Ruth, Jeanne, James, Ann and Paul, her “bonus son” Joaquim Menezes, her twelve grandchildren and her thirteen great grandchildren will long remember her selfless and gentle spirit as the heart of the family that she and her husband of 67 years created. Her husband, Lazzaro (Larry) Fattori preceded her in death in 2016. Jean was born on March 18,1927 in Jersey City, NJ to Frances and Howard Binet. She was their only child –who went on to have seven of her own!. She enjoyed a happy childhood, primarily in NJ with several high school years spent in Chicago. Jean remembered the “Chicago years'' fondly. Experiencing a new city with all it had to offer appears to have laid the foundation for what would become an enduring passion for travel. Jean would be considered a member of “The Greatest Generation” experiencing the Great Depression in her early years and later World War II. Her mother, Frances, always hard-working, taught Jean the importance of service to others during these momentous times. She graduated from The College of St. Elizabeth in Convent Station, NJ with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. After college graduation, she went on to study medicine at New York Medical College in Manhattan. Although she never completed her studies (opting to start a family instead), her admittance to medical school was an impressive accomplishment for a woman of that time and served as an inspiration to her children, especially her three daughters. Jean would later return to school at night, obtaining a teaching certificate which she put to use as a substitute teacher in the Woodcliff Lake, NJ elementary schools. She also used her teaching experience and education to instruct in the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) program at Our Lady Mother of the Church in Woodcliff Lake. Jean was an active and proud member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). She attended AAUW events well into her eighties and made a point to attend her yearly college reunion up until the 65th! She was a true and loyal friend and looked forward to seeing her college “besties”. Jean also maintained close relationships with her many NJ friends after moving to Florida in 1978. Jean and Larry traveled a good portion of the world together. It was not unusual to find Jean poring over maps and reading about the next place she wished to visit. Traveling provided a well deserved adventure apart from her job of managing all the needs of the family. The in-joke was that her bags were always packed. At 97, she was still dreaming up plans to travel to the South of France. No trip to Barnes and Noble was complete without purchasing French magazines, in which she especially enjoyed the real estate listings. Jean was the finest example of a mother who nurtured without being domineering. She allowed the uniqueness and gifts of each of her seven children to flourish so that they could thrive and could, in turn, pass this practice to their own children. Jean will be profoundly missed; her compassion and gentle strength will continue to inspire all who had the privilege of knowing her and especially those who had the great fortune to have been loved by her. Mom, Grandma, Great-Grandma will be laid to rest alongside her husband and parents at Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery in West Palm Beach. A private service will be held at the cemetery. If you would like to make a donation.in Jean’s memory, her favorite charitable organization was St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Jean Fattori

March 18, 1927 - July 17, 2024